Will You Dive in the Water, or Be Afraid to Get Wet?
This week on thinking about mindfulness and self-growth, I implore you to recognize how you react when you’re thinking about trying something new, doing a new thing, a new skill, or just getting wet and diving in the river ’cause you saw one.
I’ll explain. I had this thought while at the river with my brother’s dogs. And it occurred to me that dogs share the same wild nature as children who instantly want to run in the water and get wet as soon as they see water. Although, as we get older, we sort of… okay I’ll say it… we get boring and we hit this point where we think things like “Oh well, I don’t have a towel, I don’t really feel like getting wet right now.”
But children and dogs don’t think those things. They just do the thing. They have little races with their friends before being told they were wearing the wrong shoes, they jump in the water when they weren’t even wearing a swimming suit, because that’s how they are. They don’t overthink, they do.
The kid will just run in the water and swim. The dog will see the river and run right in, then get wet and probably shake itself off in front of us, and smell like wet dog in the car on the way home. I suppose I should tell you I let them and don’t care about the wet dog smell, because they’re happy. I digress, this is how you must go through life.
Be mindfully observant of what your response is when life presents you with something that could be uncomfortable at first, but then it could be amazing.
So, will you be like the dog who sees a body of water and jumps right in?
Or will you listen to the chitter chatter of intrusive thoughts that tell you that you can’t, shouldn’t, you’re a phony, you’ll fail so why bother, you didn’t bring a towel, you don’t have the right shoes, clothes, not good enough, etc.?
We all have those intrusive thoughts and, believe it or not, impostor syndrome is something we all face. Self-doubt and nagging thoughts will be there every step of the way. It’s the Universe’s way of asking if you’re ready to do the thing, not answer the question by running and staying out of the water.
So what are you waiting for? Quit thinking about whether you’re the imposter, or doubting yourself, and dive in the water!
Quit thinking and do it. Start that quest, start that goal, stop and take a picture because you love yourself. Stop thinking about losing weight, trying spin class, opening up about your spirituality, going back to school, or coming out of the f*c*ing closet. Whatever it is, just dive in the water and do the thing for you.
Recognize the intrusive thoughts as the Universe asking if you’re ready to get a little wet and embrace it. Live the lifestyle you were meant to live, or stay out of the water because you didn’t bring a towel.
If any of this resonates with you, don’t hesitate to comment.
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Jordan Forget is a loving father, a healer, and a seeker of the Old Norse wisdom. He draws from his background in kinesiology and his reiki training to provide his clients with a path to healing and balance. He has dedicated himself to helping others through this holistic approach, and is committed to continuing on his own shamanic path. Through his practice, he aims to demystify the road to being healthy and whole, and strives to provide his clients with the tools and training to be the best possible version of themselves. You could buy his 8-week transformation workbook on Amazon, and contact him via Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or email.